Improvement in postmarking and canceling machines



4 Sheet s-Sheet 2 T. LEAVI TT a Post Marking and Canceling Machines.

No. 219,586. Patented Sept. 16,1879.

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Witnesses: Invent r:

(W #5 film N PEI'ERS. PNOTOLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGYON. D. C

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T. LEAVITT. Post Marking and Canceling Machines.

No. 219,586. Patented Sept. 16,1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LEAVITT, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN POSTMARKING AND CANCELING MACHINES.

Specification forming part ofLetters' Patent No. 219,586, dated September 16, 1879; application filed June 21, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

and useful. Improvements in Postmarking and Canceling Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for postmarking and canceling letters and posta1= cards, and to that particular class of such machines inwhich the letters and cards are passed between a type-cylinder and an impressioncylinder; and it consists in the combination of an inclined chute or hopper, in which the letters and cards may be placed on end in avertical position, and having its end which is lowest closed up by a vertical plate and provided with a throat in its bottom, through which the letters and cards may be fed in a vertical or nearly vertical direction into the bite between the type and impression cylinders, a weighted follower provided with a frictional surface for pressing the letters and cards into the lowest part of the chute or hopper, and a reciprocatin g feed-pawl adapted to engage with the front one of the letters or cards in the hopper and feed it out of the same.

It further consists in the combination, with I a type-cylinder, an impression-cylinder, and

an inclined chute or hopper arranged as above described, of one more vertically-arranged wires or rods placed in the front or lowest end of the inclined hopper, to limit the forward motion of the pile of letters or cards at a point where their lower endswill all bear upon the inclined bottom of the chute or hopper, with the front one near the edge of the throat in said bottom, and two or more light spring-fingers secured to the innerface of the front wall of the hopper, and extending downward and backward into the throat to close it toggle-link connected at one one end to said pawl and at the other end to a spring-actuated rocking or vibratory rod, and means of controlling the outward and inward move ments of said feed-pawl, as will be hereinafter described.

It further consists of an ink-fountain of novel construction, which will be best understood by reference to the description of the drawings hereinafter given.

It further consists in the combination, with the type-cylinder provided with a circumferential groove, of a typeholding block fitted to said groove and provided with a mortise to receive the type, one or more set screws screwed into the end flange of said cylinder, with their points pressing against said typeholder to secure it in position, and a set-screw 5, 6, 7, and 8 are details to be hereinafter re ferred to.

A A are the sideframes of the machine, connected together by the tie-rods B and B and the vertical plate 0, as shown.

D is the type-cylinder, and D the impres sion-cylinder, arranged side by side, with their axes in the same horizontal plane, and mounted, the type cylinder in fixed bearings in the frames A A and the impression-cylinder in boxes D which are fitted to housings D so that they may be moved therein, the rear ends of the boxes D being chambered to'receive the open end of a tube, a, between the closed end of which and the bottom of the recess in the box is placed the spiral spring I), the ten" sion of which may be varied at will by means of the set-screw 0, all as shown in Fig. 5.

The type-cylinder D has formed therein near one end a circumferential groove, d, to receive the type-holders E and E, which are secured in position therein by the sct-screwscc, screwed into the flange d of said cylinder, formed by cutting the groove d, with their points pressing hard against the type-holders and forcing them against the inner wall of said groove.

The type-holders E and E are each provided with a mortise cut through the same to receive the changeable type-blocks, the sides of said mortises being parallel with each other,

as shown in Fig. 8.

The holder E has cut-upon its face, surrounding the mortise formed therein, the name of the post-office and figures representing; the year, or such other lettering as may be necessary, and that does notrequire to be changed oftener than perhaps once a year.

Within the mortise formed in said holder E are set three type-blocks, upon one of which is engraved the month, upon another the day of the month, and upon the third the hour of the day, and .a clamping-plate, g, made tapering, with its narrowest end outward, and fitted to a correspondingly-shaped recess in the side of the mortise in said holder, in such a manner that said plate cannot be pulled out of the mortise with the type-blocks when the magnet is applied to said blocks for the purpose of removing them to make necessary changes. The type-blocks are retained inposition in the holder E by the set-screw h, which passes freely through a smooth hole in the flange (1 of thecylinderD, and is screwed into the holder E, with its point pressing against the plate 9 and forcing it against the two contiguous typeblocks, as shown in Fig. 7.

Themortise in the holder E contains a single type-block, preferably cylindrical in form, upon which is cut a letter or character to designate collection, delivery, or the station or sub-ofiice, while the holder itself has formed thereon a series of bars or lines for cancellation, as shown.

The impression-cylinder D also has formed therein a circumferential groove, 6?, to receive the impression-pad, composed of the metal segment 2', having one or more thicknesses of suitable elastic material, '6, secured thereon by the screws i i said pad being secured to the cylinder by means of the bevel-edged lip or plate j, screwed firmly to the cylinder within the groove 61 its beveled edge overlapping the contiguous edge or end of the segment i, and the single screw 70 passing'through the opposite end of said segment and screwing into the cylinder, all as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. This method of attaching the impression-pad to the cylinder is of great advantage, as it obviates entirely the necessity of removing the cylinder from the machine to renew the pad, as has heretofore been practiced.

F is the driving-shaft, mounted in bearings on the frames A A, and having secured thereon the fly-wheel F and spur-gear wheel F which meshes into and imparts motion to the gear-wheel G, secured upon the end of the shaft of the cylinder D, upon the opposite end of which shaft is secured the gear-wheel H, which meshes into and imparts motion to the gear-wheel H, secured upon the end-of the shaft of the cylinder D, whereby said cylinders D and D are made to revolve toward each other or in opposite directions and at the same speed.

I and I are a pair of feed-rolls, located side by side above the cylinders D and D, the roll I having formed upon its surface a series of circumferential bands, the peripheries of which are roughened to produce frictional surfaces to assist in the proper feeding of the letters and cards presented to said feed-rolls.

The roll I is mounted in fixed bearings in the frames A A, and has secured to the end of its shaft a gear-wheel, Z, by means of which and the gear-wheel 1 secured upon the shaft of the type-cylinder D, and intermediate gears Z and Z rotary motion is imparted to said roll.

The roll I has a smooth cylindrical surface, and is mounted in bearin gs in the lower ends of. the pendent arms m, m, and is forced into contact with the roll I by the tension of the springs n n, which yield to permit the passage between said rolls of a letter or card.

In the rear of the plate (3, and supported thereby and by the stands or brackets J, is the hopper K, made preferably of a skeleton frame, and having its bottom inclined, with the end toward the plate G the lowest, but not extendin g quite to said plate, an open space or throat, 0, being left between the front edge of said bottom and the plate 0, through which the letters '12 and cards 1) may be fed from said hopper into thebite of the feed-rolls I and I, or to the cylinders D and D.

To the back side of the plate 0 are secured in a vertical position two or more wires or rods, g, which serve as stops to limit the movement of the pile of letters and cards toward the plate 0 as they are forced toward it by the weighted follower L, and also to reduce the resistance to the downward movement of said letters orcards. Two or more light springs, r r, are also secured to the back side of the plate 0, and extend downward and backward so as to close the throat 0 and press against the front edge of the hopper-bottom, as shown in Fig. 4, said springs being of just sufficient stifiness to prevent the accidental passage of a letter or card through the throat 0, and to yield to allow such passage when theletter or card'is forced downwardfby the feed-pawl.

M is an adjustable bar forming one side of the hopper K, designed to adapt the hopper to different widths of letters by moving said bar nearer to or farther from the fixed side of the hopper, which is always to be used as the gage in placing the letters or card therein.

N is a stand securedto the front face of the plate 0, and provided with the two guide-rods, N N upon which is mounted the crosshead N adapted to be reciprocated vertically thereon by means of the link 0, levers O and O cam 0 and spring 0 P is a three-armed lever, provided upon its long arm with one or more toothed feed-plates,

s or 8, adapted to engage with the front letter or card in the hopper, and pivoted ate to the cross-head N, as shown in Fig. 4.

The end of the pawl-lever P opposite to the feed-plates s and s is provided with an antij which the roll 15 engages as it is moved up and down in said slot. The office of the projection t, in connection with the pawl-lever P, is to prevent the feed-plates s and s from being thrown in contact with the letter until the lever P commences its downward movement, the inclined surfaces 25 and 15 serving to move the lever P about its axis, and thus move the t'eedplates s and 8 toward or from the letters, a slot, Q, being cut in the plate 0 to permit said feed-plates and the lever P to pass through the plate to reach the letters or cards in the hopper. The third arm of the pawl P is pivoted to one end of thetoggle-link u, the opposite end of which is pivoted to the inner end of a rod, to, fitted to a bearing in the crosshead N and surrounded by the spring c the tension of which may be adjusted by means of the tubular screw it.

The action of the inclined surface 25 of the cam-slot P upon the truck t as the cross-head N and the feed-pawl P are moved downward causes the lower end of the feed-pawl P to be thrown outward or away from the letters or cards in the hopper, and as a consequence the toggle-link u is brought in a horizontal position, and thus holds the leverP away from the letters during its upward motion till the truck comes in contact with'the inclined surface t of the cam-slot P, when the direct line of the toggleis broken, andthe tension of the spring 10 causes the lower end of the pawl-lever P to he suddenly thrown inward against the letters or cards and the points of the teeth of the feedplates s and s to engage with the surface of the front letter or card in the hopper, and as the pawl P is moved downward the letter or card is moved endwise through the throat 0, compressing the springs .r r sufficiently to allow the passage of said letter or card, said downward movement of the pawl-lever P continuing until the end of the letter or card is seized by the feed-rolls I and I, which carry it onward till its lower end enters between the type and impression cylinders.

R is the ink-distributing cylinder, mounted in hearings in the frames A A, and receiving motion from the driving-shaft by means of the gears 12,0, 11 and c It is the inking-roll, mounted in hearings in the upper ends of the levers S S, firmly secured upon opposite ends of the rocker-shaft S having its hearings in the frames A in such manner that said roll may be intermittently moved from a position in contact with the inkposition in contact with the type-cylinder or the type contained thereon. This vibratory motion of the roll R is obtained by means of the cam B acting upon the truck R, mounted on a stud set in the end of the lever S pivoted at 1" to the lever S, and connected to the lever S at a point between said pivot and the truck R by means of the rod 20, which passes through the ear to on an arm of said lever S, and is provided with an adjustable nut or head, 10 said rod being surrounded by the spring 10 of sufficieut tension to overcome the tension of the springs to a, which tend to hold the inking-roll in contact with the type-cylinder, the purpose of said spring being to force the levers S and S apart to the limit allowed by the adjustable head 10 of the rod w, and to yield slightly when the inking-roll R is brought incontact with the distributing-roll R.

T is an ink-fountain in the form of a hollow cylinder mounted upon a stud. to, having an eccentricbearin g in the upper end of the stand U, pivoted to the frame A and provided with the adjusting-screws I) and b by which the position of said eccentric bearing may be varied, to insure contact of the fountain with the distributing-roll B when the eccentric stud a is partially rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. I

The movement of the eccentric stud a about its axis of motion is limited in either direction by the pin 0 set therein and working in a segmental recess cut in the end of the hub of the stand U.

The barrel of the ink -fountain is provided with one or more 'holes, 0 through which the ink placed therein passes to and is absorbed by the cloth or felt covering d whenever said fountain is revolved by being brought in contact with thedistributing-roll R.

The fountain-cylinder T is weighted upon the side opposite -to the opening or openings 0 in such a manner that when not in contact with the distributing roll said fountain shall always remain the same side up, or with the the opening 0 uppermost as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. g

In the interior of the ink-fountain is placed a short cylinder of metal, 0, which rolls around the inner periphery of the fountain, or, perhaps more properly, the inner periphery of the fountain rolls around it when said fountain is re volved, and thereby prevents an accumulation of ink upon the walls of the fountain-chamber. The ink is introduced into the fountain through an opening in its end, which is closed by the plug 6 The front face of the follower L is covered with a thin sheet, 0 of leather, cloth, or suitable material, to increase the frictional surface in contact with the rear letter or card, to prevent the last two letters being fed through the throat together, as is liable to be the case if a smooth metal surface is used.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure distributing roll R, where it receives ink, to a by Letters Patentof the United States, is-- 1. The inclined chute or hopper herein described, in combination with the follower L, provided with africtional surface, and the feedpawl, as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with a pair of printing cylinders and a hopper arranged above said cylinders, and having an inclined bottom, a Vertical abutment at its lowest end, and a throat through its bottom, two or more vertically-arranged rods or wires, q q, and the two springs r 0", said wires and springs being sccured to the plate (3, and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Thecoinbinationofthereciprocatingcrosshead N the pivoted feed-pawl P, provided with one or more feed-plates, s or s, and the anti-friction roll t, the stand P provided with the cam-slot P, the toggle-link a, rod u, and

thespring 20 all arranged and adapted to be operated substantially as and for the purposes described.

opposite side, the absorbent covering 01 and eccentric journal a all arranged and adapted to be operated substantially as described.

6. In. combination with a cylindrical inkfountain, weighted upon one side and adapted to be revolved about an axis by contact with the distributing or other roll, a loose cylinder or roll e, placed within said fountain, substantially as and for the purposes described. v

7. The combination of the cylindrical inkfountain T, eccentric journal at, and the pivoted adjustable stand U, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the type-cylinder D, provided with the circumferential groove (1, of the mortised type-holder E or E one or more type or type-blocks set in said mortised holder, one or more setscrews, 0 e, screwed into the flange d of the cylinder D, to secure the type-holder, and a single set-screw, it, passin g freely throughasmooth hole in said flange d and screwed into the holder to secure the type-blocks, substantially as described.

Executed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 18th day of June, A. D. 1879.

THOMAS LEAVITT. lVitnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, O. H. Donn. 

